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Tullamarine terminal 4 arrivals. What a dump.

So this is Terminal 4 Arrivals — where you greet passengers arriving in Melbourne on Tiger Airways:

Melbourne airport T4 arrivals (outside)

You can’t go in, they can only come out. There’s no shelter to speak of — if it rains, you’d better wait in your car (if you brought one).

Inside there’s just luggage collection. No trolley until you get outside. Up the back there were some toilets and chip machines, and possibly a bench or two for waiting if there’s a luggage delay. It’s open to the wind, and there’d be no air-conditioning, but at least you’re undercover:

Melbourne airport T4 arrivals (inside)

Wow. What a dump.

But anyway — welcome to my cousin Justin, new to Melbourne!

PS. Tuesday night — Matt from the Corporate and Public Affairs department at Melbourne Airport has been in touch to point me to plans for a new domestic terminal, and to note that the proposals for this redevelopment are now open for public comments. He also says Smartbus facilities will be “significantly improved” and that they’re talking with PTV about getting a Smartbus stop into the main forecourt.

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

10 replies on “Tullamarine terminal 4 arrivals. What a dump.”

Daniel
this looks like paradise compared to what greets passengers getting off the 901 airport bus.
“MELBOURNE AIRPORT STOP LOCATION: The Melbourne Airport stop is located on Service Road near the corner of Depot Drive, opposite the Toll Dnata building. This is just a short walk from Terminal 4.”

Isn’t this what Tiger travellers are NOT paying for. I travel Tiger and I’m happy to accept that setup. Usually the bags arrive very quickly, cos Tiger is the only airline using T4.

@Roger, yes, I’d hate to arrive on that bus and have to get to the main terminal with suitcases etc if it was raining. I have taken the 901 to the airport but it was only me meeting someone and it was a nice sunny day, so the walk to T2 was not unpleasant

I think rather it’s what Qantas and Virgin ARE paying for. They’re making sure no other competitor airline is able to use a presentable terminal. Qantas and Jetstar miraculously share a third of the terminal building, but apparently it’s not possible for Tiger to do that too. I’m sure it’s cheaper for Tiger to operate like that, but I’m also quite sure it would be impossible for Tiger to get into the proper terminal building without paying more than the other airlines are paying, and sending itself broke.

If we abandon enough trolleys near the 901 terminal, hopefully they’ll be noticed and things get moved to more reasonable locations.

I think T4 was a bit of an overnight job to provide a low-cost terminal at Melbourne Airport and to deal with the increased capacity required by Tiger Airways. It’s going to be pulled down anyway to be replaced by a new T4 that will adjoin the existing terminals.

Virgin was like that in Adelaide when Qantas & Ansett operated (many years ago) I think it was Virgin, it may have been the other one that started up and went broke, who’s name eludes me.

Virgin still get the rougher end in Adelaide, if you ask me (translated to the more distant gates)

The last time I flew Tiger from here in Melbourne the departure terminal wasn’t much either. It’s a gigantic shed (my mother theorizes it’s an old aircraft hanger) with not enough seating and is too far from the rest of the airport to leave, so basically you check in and have to sit on the floor to wait for your flight to be called.

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